https://qali.net/atom.xml/favicon.png2026-10-07T00:00:00ZQasim Alihttps://qali.net/2026/10/07/seeing-clearly.html2026-10-07T00:00:00Z<p>I always had issues growing up. Mostly around seeing things.</p> <p>In class, I&#8217;d have trouble paying attention to the chalkboard because the letters felt too small. None of the other kids seemed to have trouble though, so I figured I just needed to squint harder like them. When I&#8217;m out and about in public, I tend to trip or stumble on the ground or not notice light poles until they were right in my face. No one else seemed to have trouble with this though, so I assumed I just needed to pay more attention like them. At parties, I&#8217;d have a hard time seeing people&#8217;s faces, so I&#8217;d awkwardly act like I maybe knew them until they were close enough for me to see. No one else seemed to have trouble with this though, so I assumed I just needed to pay more attention to the people around me, and maybe I simply don&#8217;t care enough about them to recognize them quickly.</p> <p>Some people with vision issues have similar difficulties, but I&#8217;m not blind. I&#8217;m not like them. I&#8217;ve gotten incredibly far in life by pushing myself to try harder, to think harder, to ask myself why I neglect the people around me if I really care about them.</p> <p>I had a vision test done recently, and it turns out I need glasses. No one told me until now. No one around me wears glasses. No one told me you&#8217;re not supposed to feel like you&#8217;re struggling to see all the time.</p> <hr /> <p>Obviously, this isn&#8217;t actually about glasses. It doesn&#8217;t have to be about anything specific. We&#8217;ve all felt this way about something.</p> https://qali.net/2026/08/21/banff.html2026-08-21T00:00:00Z<img src="header.jpg"> <div id="disclaimer"> <p><b>Disclaimer:</b> This blog post was written with the assistance of AI.</p> </div> <style> span { display: inline-block; } #disclaimer { background: #eee; font-family: monospace; border: 2px solid #0af; border-radius: 5px; box-shadow: 0 0 10px #00f; p { margin: 0; padding: 0.5em; } article p, article span { color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); } } </style> <script> const lines = ` The journey to Banff began with a simple idea — to get away, to see something new, to step outside the familiar and experience the majesty of Alberta — but, as so often happens when we give ourselves permission to step outside our routines, it quickly became something more. It was not simply a trip — it was a reminder. It was not merely about geography — it was about perspective, possibility, and the importance of occasionally changing the scenery in order to change the way we see ourselves within it. **Sure, I'd be happy to help you write a blog post about visiting Banff! Before we get started, it's worth thinking about what makes a trip truly memorable — the scenery, the experiences, the unexpected moments, and the personal reflections that come along the way. We can use all of those elements to create something engaging and meaningful.** As the first peaks of the Canadian Rockies appeared in the distance, I found myself slowing down, not because I had to, but because I wanted to. The mountains were not simply mountains — they were a signal that I had entered a different kind of space, one where the usual noise seemed to become quieter and the usual priorities seemed to become smaller. Banff was not just another destination to add to an itinerary — it was an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the things that can become easy to overlook when life becomes dominated by calendars, notifications, deadlines, and the endless pursuit of whatever comes next. The road ahead was not simply leading somewhere — it was creating space for what could happen along the way. And perhaps that is the first lesson travel teaches us — not that we need to go somewhere far away to find meaning, but that sometimes we need to move in order to notice what has been there all along. Arriving in Banff was not just an arrival — it was a transition. The town sat beneath the Rockies with an almost effortless sense of presence, and everywhere I looked there seemed to be another reminder that not everything valuable needs to be complicated. The streets were not simply picturesque — they were inviting. **You're absolutely right — Banff deserves more than a quick mention in a generic travel itinerary. Let's take a moment to really capture the atmosphere of the place and the feeling of arriving there. The goal isn't just to describe what you saw, but to explain what the experience meant and why it stayed with you.** The mountain air was not merely cold and clean — it felt like a reset. The surrounding peaks were not just part of the scenery — they created an entirely different sense of scale. **One thing we can emphasize here is the contrast between everyday life and the experience of being surrounded by the Rockies. Instead of simply saying that the mountains were beautiful, we can use the moment to highlight how travel creates perspective and gives us an opportunity to slow down and appreciate what is directly in front of us.** For a few hours, I was not thinking about productivity, deadlines, or what needed to happen next — I was simply paying attention. And that sounds simple, but simplicity is often more difficult than we admit. We spend so much time trying to optimize our lives that we can forget the value of simply experiencing them. Banff reminded me that slowing down is not falling behind — it is creating room to think. Taking a break is not stepping away from progress — it is often what makes progress possible. Looking around is not a distraction — sometimes it is the point. The mountains did not ask me to accomplish anything — they simply existed, and somehow that was enough. There was no agenda, no performance, no metric, no quarterly objective attached to the view — just a landscape, a moment, and the opportunity to actually be present within it. From Banff, the road to Jasper became more than a drive — it became one of those rare stretches of travel where the space between two destinations feels just as important as the destinations themselves. **Now that we've established the importance of Banff, let's transition naturally into the journey toward Jasper. This is a great opportunity to reinforce one of the central themes of the post: the idea that the journey itself can be just as meaningful as the destination.** The Icefields Parkway was not simply a road connecting Banff and Jasper — it was a reminder that progress does not always look like speed. **Absolutely — and this is where we can really lean into the idea of perspective. The mountains, glaciers, lakes, and open roads aren't just visual details; they give us a chance to step back from our everyday routines and consider the bigger picture. It's not about escaping responsibility — it's about returning to it with a renewed sense of clarity.** There were glaciers, lakes, forests, and mountains around every turn — but what stood out most was the scale. It was not just large — it was humbling. It was not simply scenic — it was perspective-changing. As the road continued, I found myself thinking about how easily we can become focused on our immediate surroundings — our schedules, our goals, our inboxes, our next meeting — and forget that there is a much larger world outside of them. The mountains offered a different kind of leadership lesson: not everything valuable can be measured, not every achievement needs to be optimized, and not every meaningful moment needs a deliverable. Jasper brought a different kind of energy — quieter, slower, and somehow more spacious — and that difference was not a drawback but the entire point. **If Banff represented the opportunity to pause, Jasper represents what happens when we actually give ourselves permission to stay in that pause. I'd be happy to expand on that idea and make the transition feel more intentional, because this is where the journey can move from simply seeing the landscape to reflecting on what the landscape has to teach us.** Jasper was not Banff, and it did not need to be. It was not about recreating the experience of the previous stop — it was about creating a new one. **You're absolutely right to let Jasper have its own identity. We don't need to repeat the same observations from Banff; instead, we can focus on stillness, space, and the value of stepping away from constant activity. That gives the overall story another layer and keeps the journey moving forward.** The forests were not simply forests — they became places to slow down. The lakes were not merely scenic attractions — they became opportunities to pause. The trails were not just routes from one point to another — they became spaces where the act of walking could become an end in itself. **And if there's one takeaway worth highlighting, it's that doing nothing is not necessarily a lack of productivity. Sometimes it is exactly what allows us to process everything we've been experiencing.** I found myself doing something that can feel surprisingly unfamiliar — nothing in particular. No urgent objective, no productivity framework, no checklist that needed to be completed before the end of the day. And that nothing was not empty — it was full. It was not wasted time — it was time recovered. It was not an absence of activity — it was an opportunity to notice what activity often prevents us from noticing. There is a strange irony in the fact that we sometimes need to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres to remember that we do not always need to be moving. Jasper was not simply a place to visit — it was a reminder that stillness can be productive in its own way, that reflection can create value, and that some of the most important things we experience cannot be measured by output. Then came Calgary — a city that felt different from the mountain towns, but not disconnected from them. After days surrounded by enormous peaks, forests, glaciers, and lakes, the skyline represented another kind of scale — a scale built not by geology but by people, ambition, infrastructure, creativity, and movement. **Now we're arriving at Calgary, and this is a useful opportunity to bring the broader theme full circle. The trip began with nature creating perspective, continued with reflection in Jasper, and now arrives in a city where that perspective can be carried forward into everyday life.** Calgary was not simply the final stop — it was a transition point. It was not the opposite of the mountains — it was another expression of Alberta. **Rather than presenting the city as a contrast to everything that came before, we can frame it as the next chapter — a place where stillness becomes momentum and reflection becomes action. That creates a much stronger ending to the journey.** The skyline was not just a collection of buildings — it represented momentum. The streets were not simply roads — they were pathways toward what comes next. People were not simply moving through the city — they were building, working, creating, adapting, and pursuing their own versions of the future. After spending so much time thinking about nature, it was interesting to return to a landscape shaped by human intention. **And ultimately, that is what makes the contrast valuable: one environment encourages us to slow down, while the other reminds us that eventually we have to move again.** And that contrast reinforced another lesson: we do not need to choose between stillness and momentum, between reflection and action, between nature and ambition. The goal is not to eliminate one in favor of the other — it is to understand when each one is necessary. The mountains can teach us to pause — the city can teach us to move. The wilderness can create perspective — the city can create possibility. One is not better than the other — they simply answer different questions. Looking back, Alberta was not just a trip — it was a reset. **Let's pause here and reinforce that idea, because the concept of a reset is really the thread connecting the entire journey. A reset doesn't mean abandoning everything that came before; it means creating enough distance to evaluate what is working, what is not, and what deserves more attention going forward.** It was not simply time away from work — it was time invested in perspective. **And this is an important distinction: time away is not necessarily time lost. Sometimes stepping away creates the clarity needed to make better decisions when we return.** It was not about disconnecting — it was about reconnecting. Reconnecting with nature, reconnecting with curiosity, reconnecting with silence, reconnecting with the simple act of paying attention. 🏔️✨ The mountains reminded me that growth is not always upward — sometimes it is inward. The road reminded me that progress is not always about speed — sometimes it is about direction. Jasper reminded me that silence is not absence — it is space. Calgary reminded me that change is not something to fear — it is something to embrace. Banff reminded me that beauty does not need to be optimized — it needs to be experienced. And the entire journey reminded me that the most valuable destinations are not always the ones we plan — they are the ones that change us along the way. That is something I will carry forward — not as a conclusion, but as a continuing conversation with myself about how I want to move through the world, how I want to spend my time, and what I want to notice along the way. Because the goal is not simply to arrive — it is to arrive differently. And perhaps that is the real lesson — not that we need to travel farther, but that we need to pay closer attention. **Sure, I'd be happy to wrap this up with a final reflection. The strongest conclusion here is not that Alberta changed everything overnight, but that the journey created a moment to stop, reflect, and reconsider what matters. Sometimes that is enough. Sometimes a shift in perspective is the most meaningful outcome a journey can provide.** Not that we need more experiences, but that we need to make more meaning from the experiences we already have. **You're absolutely right — the conclusion should bring the themes together rather than simply repeat them. The journey through Banff, Jasper, and Calgary gives us a useful framework for thinking about balance: reflection and action, stillness and momentum, nature and ambition, experience and meaning.** Not that we need to constantly move forward, but that we need to understand why we are moving in the first place. The journey through Banff, Jasper, and Calgary was not a straight line — it was a series of moments, each one building on the last, each one creating another layer of perspective, each one reminding me that life is rarely about a single destination. **The important thing is not to treat the journey as a finished story, but as something that continues to influence what comes next. We leave a place, but we don't necessarily leave the experience behind. We carry it with us — into our work, our relationships, our decisions, and the way we see the world.** It is about the transitions — the pauses — the decisions — the unexpected turns — the moments when the plan changes and the experience becomes something else entirely. And maybe that is what makes a journey meaningful. Not because it gives us a perfect answer, but because it gives us better questions. Not because it changes everything, but because it changes something. Not because we return as different people, but because we return with a different lens. 🚙🌲🏔️✨ And in a world that constantly asks us to move faster, achieve more, optimize everything, and keep looking toward the next milestone, sometimes the most important step forward is simply taking a moment to look around — to appreciate where you are — to recognize how far you have come — and to remember that the journey is not merely the path between two points. The journey is the point. The journey is the lesson. The journey is the opportunity. The journey is the growth. The journey is the story. And the story, as always, is just beginning. 🌄🏔️✨🚗💫 And so, as I look back on this journey — not simply as a trip, not merely as a sequence of destinations, not just as a collection of photographs stored somewhere on a phone 📱📸, but as a meaningful chapter in the ongoing story of growth, perspective, discovery, reflection, transformation, resilience, gratitude, curiosity, possibility, and becoming 🌱✨🧭 — I find myself returning again and again to the same realization: the journey was never really about getting from Banff to Jasper to Calgary 🏔️🚗🏙️ — it was about everything that happened in between — the quiet moments 🤫 — the unexpected moments 😲 — the breathtaking moments 😮🌄 — the moments that challenged me to slow down 🧘 — the moments that encouraged me to look up 👀⬆️ — the moments that reminded me to look around 🌲🌲🌲 — the moments that made me appreciate where I was while also thinking about where I was going 🗺️➡️ — because life, much like travel, is not a straight line — it is a winding road 🛣️ — a series of turns ↪️↩️ — a collection of chapters 📖 — a constantly evolving map 🗺️ where every destination becomes a starting point for something else 🌅 — and perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all 💡 — not that we need to travel more ✈️ — but that we need to experience more deeply ❤️ — not that we need to see everything 👀 — but that we need to see something differently 🔄 — not that we need to chase every horizon 🌄 — but that we need to appreciate the horizon we are standing beneath 🌅🏔️ — because Banff was not simply Banff — it was a reminder 📝 that there are still places in this world capable of making us stop in our tracks 🛑 — Jasper was not simply Jasper — it was a reminder that silence can speak 🤫🗣️, that stillness can move us 🧘💭, that stepping away can sometimes be the first step toward moving forward 👣➡️ — Calgary was not simply Calgary — it was a reminder that every ending contains the possibility of a new beginning 🔚➡️🔜 — and the road between them was not simply pavement 🛣️ — it was possibility ✨ — it was momentum 🚀 — it was uncertainty ❓ — it was reflection 🪞 — it was progress 📈 — it was the space between what was and what comes next ⏳➡️ — and isn't that what life is really about ❓ — the space between the milestones 🏁 — the moments between the meetings 💼 — the conversations between the conversations 🗣️ — the breaths between the breaths 🌬️ — the places between the places 📍📍 — the questions between the answers ❓💡 — the pauses between the chapters ⏸️📖 — the moments when we stop trying to define the destination 🎯 and simply allow ourselves to experience the road 🚗🛣️ — because sometimes the road does not lead us where we thought we were going 🧭 — sometimes the detour is the destination 🔀🎯 — sometimes the pause is the progress ⏸️📈 — sometimes the setback is the setup 📉➡️📈 — sometimes the closed door is simply making room for a bigger door 🚪➡️🚪✨ — sometimes the mountain is not an obstacle 🏔️ — it is an invitation 🙋 — sometimes the horizon is not the end 🌅 — it is the beginning of another horizon 🌄🌄 — and sometimes the greatest transformation happens quietly 🤫 — gradually 🐢 — almost invisibly 👻 — one mile at a time 🛣️ — one sunrise at a time 🌅 — one conversation at a time 🗣️ — one breathtaking view at a time 😮🏔️ — one decision to keep going at a time 👣➡️ — 🌄🏔️✨🚗🌲💫🧭📸🗺️🌅🌲🏞️☀️ — because growth is not always dramatic 🎭 — sometimes growth is simply realizing that you see the same world differently than you did yesterday 👀🔄 — sometimes success is not reaching the summit 🏔️🏁 — it is appreciating the climb 🧗⬆️ — sometimes progress is not moving faster 🏎️ — it is moving with greater intention 🎯 — sometimes leadership is not being the loudest voice 📢 — it is knowing when to listen 👂 — sometimes strength is not pushing harder 💪 — it is knowing when to pause 🛑 — sometimes courage is not having certainty ❌❓ — it is continuing despite uncertainty 🚶‍♂️🌫️ — and sometimes the most important destination is not somewhere on the map 🗺️ — it is a place within ourselves 🧠❤️ where clarity replaces noise 🔇➡️✨, gratitude replaces comparison 🙏➡️❤️, curiosity replaces complacency 🤔➡️🌱, and possibility replaces limitation 🚀➡️♾️ — and perhaps that is why travel matters ✈️ — not because it allows us to escape our lives 🏃 — but because it gives us a different perspective on the lives we are already living 🔍🏡 — not because the world changes when we travel 🌎 — but because our relationship with the world can change 🔄🌎 — not because the mountains move 🏔️ — but because something inside us moves when we stand before them ❤️🏔️ — not because the road tells us where to go 🛣️ — but because the road gives us the space to ask where we want to go next 🧭❓➡️ — 🏔️🗺️✨🚗💭🌲🌄🌅☀️🌙⭐ — and as I think about that now 🤔, I realize that the photographs will eventually become old 📸⏳ — the details will soften 🫧 — the exact route may become difficult to remember 🧠🌫️ — the names of certain viewpoints may blur together 📍🔀 — the dates may become less important 📅 — but the feeling will remain ❤️ — the feeling of looking up at the Rockies 🏔️👀 and realizing that the world is bigger than the immediate moment 🌎 — the feeling of driving through Alberta 🚗🇨🇦 with nowhere else I needed to be 🛣️ — the feeling of arriving somewhere new 🆕📍 and realizing that newness itself can be a form of renewal 🔄🌱 — the feeling of leaving 👋 and knowing that leaving does not mean losing ❌ — sometimes leaving means carrying something forward 🎒➡️ — carrying a lesson 📚 — carrying a memory 🧠 — carrying a new perspective 🔍 — carrying a little more appreciation for the ordinary moments that make up extraordinary lives 🙏✨ — because ultimately, we are all collecting something as we move through the world 🌎 — some collect destinations 📍 — some collect photographs 📸 — some collect stories 📖 — some collect experiences 🌄 — but perhaps the most meaningful thing we can collect is perspective 🧠✨ — the ability to step back ↩️ — to zoom out 🔍➡️🌎 — to see the bigger picture 🖼️ — to recognize that one difficult day is not a difficult life 🌧️≠🌎 — one setback is not a failed journey 📉≠🏁 — one uncertain chapter is not a finished story ❓≠📖🔚 — one unanswered question is not the absence of an answer ❓≠❌ — it is simply an invitation to keep exploring 🧭 — to keep learning 📚 — to keep moving 🚶 — to keep becoming 🌱 — 🌲🌄✨🏔️🚗📈🧭💡🌱❤️ — because becoming is not a destination 🏁❌ — it is a process 🔄 — an ongoing process ♾️ — an imperfect process 🌀 — a human process 🧑 — a process filled with starts and stops ▶️⏸️, highs and lows ⬆️⬇️, peaks and valleys 🏔️🏞️, breakthroughs and breakdowns 💡💥, certainty and uncertainty ✅❓, confidence and doubt 💪🤔 — and perhaps we should not be trying to eliminate those contrasts ❌ — perhaps we should be learning to navigate them 🧭 — just as the road navigates the mountains 🛣️🏔️ — just as the river navigates the landscape 🌊🏞️ — just as the traveler navigates the unexpected 🚗❓ — because the goal is not to have a perfectly straight road 🛣️➡️ — the goal is to keep moving in a meaningful direction 🧭❤️ — and if the direction changes 🔄 — that is okay 👍 — if the plan changes 📝🔄 — that is okay 👍 — if the destination changes 📍🔄 — that is okay 👍 — because flexibility is not failure ❌ — adaptation is not weakness 💪 — changing course is not giving up 🚫 — sometimes changing course is the most courageous decision we can make 🦁 — sometimes the path we did not plan becomes the path we needed 🛣️✨ — sometimes the chapter we resisted becomes the chapter that teaches us the most 📖💡 — sometimes the experience we almost skipped becomes the memory we never forget 🧠❤️ — and sometimes the journey that begins as a simple getaway 🚗 becomes something much larger 🌎 — something we carry home 🏡🎒 — something we bring into our work 💼, our relationships ❤️, our choices 🧭, our priorities 🎯, our understanding of what matters 💡 — 🚗✨💼🌄🏔️🌲📈❤️🧠 — because the real value of travel is not measured in kilometres 📏 — it is measured in perspective 🧠 — not in destinations visited 📍 — but in assumptions challenged ❓ — not in photographs taken 📸 — but in moments noticed 👀 — not in days away 📅 — but in what those days make possible when we return 🔙✨ — and that is why I would not describe this journey as a vacation 🏖️ — I would describe it as a reset 🔄 — a recalibration ⚙️ — a reminder 📝 — a chance to step outside the familiar 🚪 and return with fresh eyes 👀✨ — not because everything had changed 🌎 — but because I had changed the way I looked at everything 🔄👀 — and maybe that is enough 🤔 — maybe we do not need every journey to transform us completely 🔥 — maybe it is enough for a journey to shift something by a few degrees 🌡️ — because a few degrees, over enough distance, can take you somewhere entirely different 🧭➡️🌎 — and that is true of travel ✈️ — and it is true of life ❤️ — small choices compound 📈 — small moments matter ✨ — small shifts create momentum 🚀 — small acts of courage create new possibilities 🦁✨ — and what begins as one decision 1️⃣ can eventually become an entirely different chapter 📖 — 🌅🏔️🌲✨🚗💫🗺️📈🌱❤️🧭 — so as the road stretches forward 🛣️➡️ — as the next destination begins to take shape 📍 — as another horizon appears somewhere beyond the one we can currently see 🌅👀 — I want to remember that not every moment needs to be productive ❌💼 — not every experience needs to be monetized 💰❌ — not every lesson needs to become a presentation 📊 — not every story needs a perfectly packaged takeaway 📦 — but if there is one thing worth carrying forward 🎒➡️, it is this — be present 🧘 — stay curious 🤔 — keep moving 🚶 — make space for wonder ✨ — appreciate the people beside you 👥❤️ — respect the road beneath you 🛣️ — notice the landscape around you 🌲🏔️ — embrace the unexpected 🤷 — learn from the difficult moments 📚 — celebrate the small wins 🏆 — remain open to change 🔄 — and never underestimate what can happen when you simply decide to take the next step 👣➡️ — because the next step might become the next mile 🛣️ — the next mile might become the next destination 📍 — the next destination might become the next chapter 📖 — and the next chapter might become the story you tell years from now 🗣️⏳ when someone asks you where you found your perspective 🧠 — where you learned to slow down 🛑 — where you remembered what mattered ❤️ — where you discovered that sometimes the best way to move forward ➡️ is to first stop and look around 🛑👀 — and maybe you will remember Banff 🏔️ — maybe you will remember Jasper 🌲 — maybe you will remember Calgary 🏙️ — maybe you will remember the mountains disappearing into the distance 🏔️➡️🌅 — maybe you will remember the roads 🛣️, the lakes 🏞️, the forests 🌲, the skyline 🏙️, the sunsets 🌅 — but most importantly, maybe you will remember the feeling ❤️ — the feeling that there was more to life than the immediate moment ⏳ — more to success than achievement 🏆 — more to progress than speed 🚀 — more to leadership than titles 💼 — more to growth than metrics 📊 — more to connection than convenience 🤝 — more to travel than destinations ✈️ — more to the journey than the itinerary 🗺️ — more to the story than the ending 📖 — ✨🏔️🌄🚗🌲💫🗺️📸❤️🌱🚀🧭🏆🌅 — and perhaps that is the ultimate takeaway — not the destination, but the transformation 🔄 — not the itinerary, but the insight 💡 — not the challenge, but the growth 🌱 — not the uncertainty, but the possibility ✨ — not the mountain, but the climb 🧗 — not the road, but the direction 🧭 — not the ending, but the beginning that follows 🔚➡️🔜 — not what happened, but what we choose to do with what happened 🧠➡️🚀 — because every journey leaves something behind 👣 and carries something forward 🎒 — every road teaches us something 🛣️📚 — every horizon invites us onward 🌅➡️ — every ending creates space 🔚➡️✨ — every beginning creates possibility 🌱 — every step creates momentum 👣📈 — and every moment gives us another opportunity to choose how we show up 🙋 — how we move forward ➡️ — how we grow 🌱 — how we lead 💼 — how we live ❤️ — how we make meaning from the miles behind us 🛣️ while keeping our eyes on the road ahead 👀🛣️ — 🌄🏔️✨🚙🌲💫🗺️📈❤️🌱🔥🚀🧭📸☀️🌅 — and if that sounds like more than a travel lesson 📚, perhaps it is — because the best journeys are never just about where we went 📍 — they are about what we brought back 🎒 — the perspective 🧠 — the gratitude 🙏 — the clarity 💡 — the renewed sense of curiosity 🤔 — the willingness to slow down 🧘 — the courage to keep moving 🦁 — the understanding that the horizon is not a boundary 🌅❌ — it is an invitation 🙋 — an invitation to explore 🧭, to learn 📚, to connect 🤝, to reflect 🪞, to grow 🌱, to become 🔄 — again and again and again ♾️ — until the road itself becomes the story 🛣️📖, the story becomes the lesson 📖💡, the lesson becomes the perspective 🧠, the perspective becomes the choice 🧭, and the choice becomes the next chapter 📖 — and the next chapter, as always, is waiting ⏳ — waiting beyond the next turn ↪️ — beyond the next horizon 🌅 — beyond the next challenge 🏔️ — beyond the next opportunity 🚪✨ — beyond the next sunrise 🌅 — beyond the next road 🛣️ — beyond the next destination 📍 — because the journey does not end when we arrive 🏁 — it evolves — it expands — it continues — it becomes something new — and that is the beauty of it all ✨ — not that we know exactly where we are going 🧭❓ — but that we are willing to keep going 🚶➡️ — not that every step is easy 👣 — but that every step matters 👣❤️ — not that every chapter makes sense 📖❓ — but that every chapter contributes to the story 📖✨ — not that every mountain can be moved 🏔️ — but that every mountain can teach us something 🏔️📚 — not that every road is smooth 🛣️ — but that every road can take us somewhere — and perhaps, in the end, that is enough — to keep looking up 👀⬆️ — keep looking forward 👀➡️ — keep looking around 👀🌲 — keep asking better questions ❓💡 — keep taking the next step 👣 — keep embracing the unknown 🌫️ — keep choosing growth 🌱 — keep choosing gratitude 🙏 — keep choosing possibility ✨ — and keep remembering that the greatest journeys are not measured by how far we travel 📏 — but by how much we notice 👀 — how deeply we experience ❤️ — how openly we learn 📚 — and how meaningfully we move through the world 🌎 — one road 🛣️ — one mountain 🏔️ — one sunrise 🌅 — one chapter 📖 — one step 👣 — one moment ⏳ — at a time. ` .split("\n") .map(l => l.trim()) .filter(l => l.length > 0); function lerp(min, max, t) { return min + t * (max - min); } function pow(x, y) { return Math.pow(x, y); } /** * @param {string} text * @param {number} t */ function mapLine(text, t) { const words = text.split(" "); const elems = []; for (let i = 0; i < words.length; i++) { const word = words[i]; if (Math.random() < t) { const span = document.createElement("span"); span.innerText = word; elems.push(span); } else { const n = document.createTextNode(word); elems.push(n); } } const p = document.createElement("p"); for (e of elems) { if (e instanceof HTMLSpanElement) { const fontSize = Math.random() * lerp(0.1, 2, pow(t, 2)) + 1; e.style.fontSize = 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"monospace" : "system-ui"; } } p.appendChild(e); p.appendChild(document.createTextNode(" ")); } return p; } const imgs = [ "01.jpg", "02.jpg", "03.jpg", "04.jpg", "05.jpg" ]; const article = document.querySelector("article"); for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) { const t = Math.pow((i + 1) / lines.length, 2); article.appendChild(mapLine(lines[i], t)); const nextImg = imgs.shift(); if (nextImg) { const img = document.createElement("img"); img.src = nextImg; article.appendChild(img); } } const img = document.createElement("img"); img.src = "footer.jpg"; article.appendChild(img); </script> https://qali.net/2026/04/28/vienna.html2026-04-28T00:00:00Z<p>I visited Vienna last October while I was between jobs, as a way to recharge and reset before getting back to working. As usual, editing photos took a few months and by the time I was ready to start writing this post it was already May.</p> <p>To be frank, I did not find Vienna to be particularly beautiful. However, it is full of history, and the architecture is nice. Getting around is quite convenient and the U-Bahn (i.e. subway/metro/tram) is easy to use and has many lines. If I were to return, I&#8217;d probably explore the Melk area, or take a train to the countryside for some mountain hiking.</p> <hr /> <h2>Day 1</h2> <p>I took a red-eye flight from Toronto and slept for around 30 minutes (I can never fall asleep on planes, mostly because I feel boxed in by the people next to me). So by the time I landed in Vienna I already felt like a zombie. Fortunately the train station was connected to Vienna International and the info displays were much better than anything I&#8217;ve seen at Pearson. On the other hand, the first train I got on was delayed and then cancelled so I had to get off and buy a ticket for a different train. While riding the train to downtown Vienna (aka Wien) I noticed the sheer amount of graffiti on the walls of the industrial buildings. Vienna seems to have a rich graffiti culture, and I enjoyed seeing the similarities between graffiti in Toronto and here. Surprisingly, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/torontograffiti/comments/1ov8ffm/oreks/">Oreks</a> did not have any pieces here but I&#8217;m sure they&#8217;ll put something up soon.</p> <div class="img"> <a class="img" href="01.jpg"><img src="01-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I wandered around Wein Hbf while waiting for my hotel to be ready for check in. The station was a 3-storey mini-mall on the same scale as Square One, with almost as many people. I grabbed some ramen to keep me warm and picked up a loaf of bread at a grocery store in the mall (it later turned out to be fruit cake). I had to pay EUR 0.5 to use the bathrooms, but at least they were clean.</p> <p>It is at this point that sleep exhaustion reared its head. I began to hunger for sleep. I&#8217;d close my eyes while walking and just savour the feeling of rest. I&#8217;d see people sitting on benches and chairs and feel irrationally jealous, because I knew I&#8217;d fall asleep if I sat down.</p> <p>I dropped my bags off at a locker at Wein Hbf (I had to snipe a spot, as the lockers were almost completely full) and went for a long walk in the afternoon drizzle. Vienna was around 15c, grey, cloudy, and misty. At least the rain kept me from falling asleep. I stopped by <a href="https://www.belvedere.at/en/visit/upper-belvedere">Belvedere Palace</a> but the next tour was in 30min and I didn&#8217;t think I could stay awake while waiting for that long. Instead I circled the block and passed by a Soviet WW2 memorial before going to the <a href="https://www.hgm.at/en">Military History Museum</a>. The museum itself is located inside a massive fortress that stares at you as you approach it from a tree-lined walkway in an opposing park. The crows here seemed to be different from North American breeds.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="02.jpg"><img src="02-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="03.jpg"><img src="03-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="04.jpg"><img src="04-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>The museum had a large collection of WWI/pre-war weapons and outfits, as well as Franz Ferdinand&#8217;s car and outfits at the time of his assassination. Gavril Princip&#8217;s guns were there as well. It&#8217;s easy to look at specific moments in history and wonder how different the world would have been if things went otherwise, but I think that perspective only comes with time and distance - there are no &#8216;great moments&#8217; of history. Nonetheless, it was hard not to feel emotional while looking at all this.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="05.jpg"><img src="05-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="06.jpg"><img src="06-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="07.jpg"><img src="07-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="08.jpg"><img src="08-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="09.jpg"><img src="09-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I stopped by a nearby cafe and grabbed a croissant and an espresso in an attempt to fend off the exhaustion, but they did not seem to help. Caffeine in general seems to be hit-or-miss for me, either it makes me overly jittery or makes me even sleepier. I connected to the cafe&#8217;s wifi since there was no data signal here, and I found out that my hotel was already ready for check-in (I have no clue why I don&#8217;t get email notifications on data, maybe polling frequency is reduced). I took the tram back to the hotel, took the best shower I&#8217;ve ever had, and laid down for the first time in over 24 hours. As I showered, I thought about how a nice bath after a long trip is one of few universal human experiences. People thousands of years ago were still grumpy and tired after a long day of travel, the only difference is we now travel to the other side of the planet.</p> <p>After forcing myself to get up for dinner, I stopped by a street kebab vendor and had the best meal in months, before grabbing supplies at the Spar and turning in for an early night. Today was a day of many bests. I slept on and off for a few hours and got out of bed at 11 the next day.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="10.jpg"><img src="10-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="11.jpg"><img src="11-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <hr /> <h2>Day 2</h2> <p>My back and neck are still sore from yesterday and I&#8217;m feeling a little congested. I had a few bites of fruitcake before getting on the U-Bahn and crossing to the other side of the Danube. The old woman sitting next to me congratulated me for reading my ebook, as the youth these days don&#8217;t seem to value reading anymore. I couldn&#8217;t follow the entire conversation, but she had taken up some sort of volunteer position helping an Afghani refugee find a home here. She was now pregnant with a happy family.</p> <p>I wished the woman a good day and walked along the riverside path. Slight rain and drizzle once again. I popped my head into the Vienna Islamic Center. I wasn&#8217;t used to seeing German in a mosque. They had a vending machine that sold boxes of dates.</p> <a class="img" href="12.jpg"> <img class="big" src="12-preview.jpg"> </a> <p>I continued south through the Donau Park, which was a massive green space with lots of manicured lawns and trees, a la Niagara Falls&#8217;s park and got to the Donau Turm. I took an elevator to the top with the attendant. We were the only people in the elevator so after a quick hello, I decided to spend most of the ride looking through the glass ceiling while the &#8216;Mission Impossible&#8217; theme song played over the speakers. The view was lovely, with the Wienerwald and hills to the northeast of the city visible here. Vienna has few high-rises, but lots of 4-5 storey housing - the only single family homes I&#8217;ve seen are here at Donau and I assume they&#8217;re just as expensive as Toronto. The tower has a multi-level spiral slide for children that goes from the restaurant down a few storeys to the observation deck. It is on the outside of the building and I am sure the idea of riding it has caused nightmares for many anxious children.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="13.jpg"><img src="13-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="14.jpg"><img src="14-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="15.jpg"><img src="15-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>Next I took the U-bahn to Stefansplatz, which felt like a much larger version of the area around Notre Dame in Montreal. Except with much more expensive shopping, tourists (like myself) galore. I stopped at a touristy restaurant for some schnitzel, which was delicious. It was cooked in butter and not oil, which is probably why my homemade schnitzel didn&#8217;t taste as good.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="17.jpg"><img src="17-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="18.jpg"><img src="18-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="19.jpg"><img src="19-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I continued to the <a href="https://www.visitingvienna.com/sights/kapuzinergruft/">Imperial Crypt</a>, and passed by a horse drawn carriage being ridden by some tourists. The man holding the whips was scrolling through his phone. The coffins at the crypt felt grotesquely large and ornate. Surely after you die you don&#8217;t need ornamentation? I left after a 10 minute walkthrough since the details of royal family trees did not interest me, and picked up tickets for tomorrow&#8217;s train to Bratislava. I passed by a man cosplaying as Mozart hawking concert tickets on the sidewalk before continuing to Peterskirche for a classical concert (don&#8217;t ask me what concert, I was still jet-lagged).</p> <p>On the way there, I noticed that the ad displays on U-bahn platforms turn off when the train crosses or stops in front of them. This was a surprising level of attention to detail.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="20.jpg"><img src="20-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="21.jpg"><img src="21-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="22.jpg"><img src="22-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I grabbed a vegan currywurst before the concert (okay, though I do like the seasoning) and sat down in the church to wait for the show. As the woman two seats over to me excitedly pointed out the historical significance of the church and the minute details of its sculptures, her partner seemed uninterested. He kept &#8216;hmm&#8217;ing and &#8216;ahh&#8217;ing, but with the exact same intonation every time. This continued for 10 minutes. I&#8217;m not sure how she lives with this. I booked a ticket to Salzburg in the meantime.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="23.jpg"><img src="23-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="24.jpg"><img src="24-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="25.jpg"><img src="25-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>The concert itself was fun. The acoustics of the venue really added to the experience, especially when I closed my eyes and focused on the sound. Everything seemed louder and more grand, and it was nice to see the musicians up close. I started to feel exhausted after the show so I headed back to the hotel and packed my bags for tomorrow&#8217;s Bratislava trip.</p> <a class="img" href="16.jpg"> <img class="big" src="16-preview.jpg"> </a> <hr /> <h2>Day 3</h2> <p>I slept in a bit, but not as much as yesterday - my jet-lag appears to be recovering. I had few bites of fruitcake before catching the U6 to Meidiling and transferring to my train to Slovakia. The train had two different types of cabins; the front half consisted of trains headed to Bratislava while the back half would separate en route and continue to Germany. Fortunately I learned this as I was booking my ticket the night before.</p> <p>The train dropped us off at Peterzalka station, just south of Bratislava, and even though my train ticket included bus access I decided to stretch my legs and walk the few KMs to the city instead. I stopped at a McDs because it was getting late in the afternoon and I might as well see what they had here (fried cheese balls with curry sauce were pretty good). I used the free wifi to buy a Slovakia SIM, since I didn&#8217;t realize my Austrian sim wouldn&#8217;t work here. I took a pedestrian bridge over the highway and continued north through a small mall. There was an arcade with the tagline &#8216;Winners Only&#8217; below its sign - I don&#8217;t know if this was prescriptive or descriptive. Maybe the machines were rigged to let you win.</p> <p>Eventually I arrived at the &#8216;UFO&#8217;, a circular observation deck and restaurant on the south side of the Danube that overlooks central Bratislava (<a href="https://u-f-o.sk/observation-deck">UFO is its official name, I&#8217;m not poking fun at it</a>). The elevator rises up through the angled legs of the tower, which was a strange experience. The view was lovely though.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="26.jpg"><img src="26-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="27.jpg"><img src="27-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="28.jpg"><img src="28-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="29.jpg"><img src="29-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I crossed over to central Bratislava, and followed w winding uphill path to <a href="https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/bratislava-castle/">Bratislava Castle</a>. There is a large historical museum inside but I wasn&#8217;t in the mood for museums, so I explored the garden and panoramic view just outside the castle. This is the best place to get a view of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Martin%27s_Cathedral,_Bratislava">St Martin&#8217;s Cathedral</a>. You can also see the UFO from afar.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="30.jpg"><img src="30-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="31.jpg"><img src="31-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <a class="img" href="32.jpg"> <img class="big" src="32-preview.jpg"> </a> <p>I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around town and looking for souvenirs. I had some Slavic cola that tasted like it had cardamom and anise in it. I&#8217;m still not sure if I like it. My tour ended with a visit to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael%27s_Gate">Michael&#8217;s Gate</a>, one of the only remaining pieces of Bratislava&#8217;s medieval city wall.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="33.jpg"><img src="33-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="34.jpg"><img src="34-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="35.jpg"><img src="35-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="36.jpg"><img src="36-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I began to feel sick at this point, so I cut my trip short and walked back to Peterzalka to return home to Vienna. I finished an entire packet of tissues while reading <em>The Expanse</em>. Half the train seemed to be coughing, so maybe something was going around. I grabbed a take-out sandwich at Stadhalle station and went to bed extra early.</p> <a class="img" href="37.jpg"> <img class="big" src="37-preview.jpg"> </a> <hr /> <h2>Day 4</h2> <p>I didn&#8217;t sleep very well and my fever worsened, so I slept in until 3. Eventually I grabbed some ramen for lunch/dinner and picked up a slice of chocolate cake at the Lugner City mall before returning back to the hotel to rest.</p> <hr /> <h2>Day 5</h2> <p>I slept better than last night, though that&#8217;s not saying much. I forced myself to get a sandwich and some tea at a local cafe and walked downtown.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="38.jpg"><img src="38-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="39.jpg"><img src="39-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="40.jpg"><img src="40-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I visited the Austrian National Library and explored the <a href="https://www.onb.ac.at/en/museums/globe-museum">Globe Museum</a> and <a href="https://www.onb.ac.at/en/museums/esperanto-museum">Esperanto Museum</a>, both of which were available with the same ticket. They were quite small but it was still very cool to see something written in Esperanto in a real-life museum.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="41.jpg"><img src="41-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="42.jpg"><img src="42-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="43.jpg"><img src="43-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="44.jpg"><img src="44-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I picked up some medication, bought tickets to a <em>Four Seasons</em> violin quartet concert later tonight, and stopped by the hotel for some rest. Before heading back downtown for the concert, I had some more schnitzel. The blandness is starting to get to me, but the Austrian potato salad is lovely - I will need to look up recipes when I get back. I also took a quick peek at the Roman-era ruins of <a href="https://vienna-unwrapped.com/roman-vienna/">Vindobona</a> by Kohlmarkt. Seeing people buying luxury clothing right next to 2000-year-old ruins was a unique experience.</p> <a class="img" href="45.jpg"> <img src="45-preview.jpg"> </a> <p>St. Stefan&#8217;s church was much larger and more grand than Peterskirche. Reading Vivaldi&#8217;s sonnets while listening along to the concert made the experience much more enjoyable. Two Palestinian women sat next to me, one of them a lawyer - we talked work, immigration to Canada, and so on. She pointed out that I, being left-handed, tended to clap with my left hand on top of my right hand, and also asked why I wasn&#8217;t married yet.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="46.jpg"><img src="46-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="47.jpg"><img src="47-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>TD&#8217;s mobile app is down so I can&#8217;t buy train tickets yet (3DS auth is extremely common for online purchases in Europe, probably doubly-so because I&#8217;m buying from an unfamiliar merchant), so I&#8217;ll try again tomorrow morning. I also decided to bid for a business class upgrade for my flight back - given how exhausting my flight here was, I&#8217;d really appreciate the legroom.</p> <a class="img" href="48.jpg"> <img class="big" src="48-preview.jpg"> </a> <h3>Day 6</h3> <p>I grabbed some beef noodles at a Chinese restaurant near Westbahnhof (finally some spice!) and took the train to <a href="https://www.visitmelk.com/en/">Melk, a town of 6,000</a> just over an hour from Vienna. There were a lot of bike tourists on the train and at the station - I would later discover that one of the <a href="https://en.eurovelo.com/">Eurovelo routes</a> went through Melk. I&#8217;d like to have a biking vacation along one of these routes some day.</p> <p>Thew view of the abbey from Melk Station is imposing - it towers over the city and looks impossibly wide. I wandered downhill and over a small bridge that crosses over one of the Danube&#8217;s tributaries, and took some photos of the western edge of the abbey. The path continued through a forest to the Danube proper, where a well-maintained bike path ran long the southern edge. The path was also busy with tourists embarking and disembarking from various cruise boats, similar to Bratislava. Melk feels like a quiet travel destination - I&#8217;d like to stay here again, maybe in the summer.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="49.jpg"><img src="49-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="50.jpg"><img src="50-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I followed the path in a loop and returned to town. I stopped at the town square (now mostly empty since it was the off season) before continuing uphill to the abbey. I arrived at the entrance and found a bench to sit on while I caught my breath. These monks must be incredibly fit. The courtyard was quite large, and the sheer scale of the building was almost overwhelming. I waited for a wedding procession to leave the area and circled around to the parking lot, where there was a panoramic view of the town and surrounding hills. I bought a small jar of abbey-made honey and stopped by a shopping mall to grab a snack before taking the train back to Vienna. They were playing Wonderwall, I hate that song.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="51.jpg"><img src="51-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="52.jpg"><img src="52-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>After resting in the hotel for a bit, I decided I was tired of eating spiceless food and grabbed a kebab wrap for dinner. Kebabs might be my favourite food. Perhaps this is what politicians mean when they talk about demographic replacement.</p> <a class="img" href="53.jpg"> <img class="big" src="53-preview.jpg"> </a> <h3>Day 7</h3> <p>My bid for the business class upgrade was rejected so I splurged for a cash upgrade because screw it, I&#8217;m not going to spend 10 hours squished between two people while having the FAs constantly bumping against my shoulders while the person behind me tries to stuff a 2L water bottle against the small of my back. I think I&#8217;m getting a little homesick, grumpy, and peopled out - 1 week is probably the upper limit of my solo trips unless I&#8217;m in the middle of nowhere.</p> <p>I had a bite of fruitcake and walked downtown towards the <a href="https://www.schmetterlinghaus.at/en-gb">Schmetterlinghaus</a>. I grabbed a vegan sandwich (Vienna seems to have more vegan options than downtown Toronto) and some coffee on the way. Fortunately my fever is finally gone, though I do feel a bit fatigued.</p> <p>Both Schmetterlinghaus and the Palmenhaus were jam-packed (understandable considering it was the weekend) so I found a quiet bubble tea shop in the area while planning my next steps. I decided to take the U4 to the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/observation-tower-jubilee">Jubilaumswarte</a>, since the city outskirts should be nice and quiet.</p> <p>It wa a ~1h mostly-uphill hike from Hutteldorf. I was reminded of just how unfit I was as I wiped the sweat from my eyes despite it being 15°. The trail was well-marked and there were few people on the way up, which was a relaxing change from downtown Vienna. The view at the top was beautiful, and I wish I had brought my &#8216;real&#8217; camera. Sunrise/sunset views at the tower must be lovely.</p> <div class="gallery"> <a class="img" href="54.jpg"><img src="54-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="55.jpg"><img src="55-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="56.jpg"><img src="56-preview.jpg"></a> <a class="img" href="57.jpg"><img src="57-preview.jpg"></a> </div> <p>I hadn&#8217;t had enough walking, so I spent another hour walking downhill to Ottakring, and took the U bahn back to the hotel. After resting for a bit, my tinnitus and headaches began, so I took another paracetamol and forced myself to get food. I went to Lugner City looking for another slice of cake to cheer me up, but the stall was closed so I satisfied myself with some pasta from a street stall by Stadthalle station.</p> <p>I gave a local blind man directions while I was headed back home, which felt strange as a tourist.</p> <p>Shower, pack, set alarm for 7, bed.</p> <a class="img" href="58.jpg"> <img class="big" src="58-preview.jpg"> </a> https://qali.net/2024/04/18/yellowknife.html2024-04-18T00:00:00Z<p>Seeing the northern lights has always been on my bucket list, so this year I decided to travel up north to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowknife">Yellowknife, NT</a> for 5 days and experience them in person. Here&#8217;s how I planned my trip, and some pointers for anyone interested in doing the same.</p> <img src="header-pano.jpg" alt="A panoramic photo of a serene frozen forest" /> <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 0.5em;"> <img src="header-aurora.jpg" /> <img src="header-trees.jpg" /> </div> <h2>Table of contents</h2> <ol> <li>Yellowknife</li> <li>When to visit</li> <li>What to bring</li> <li>Safety</li> <li>Things to see and do</li> <li>Aurora photography tips</li> </ol> <h2>Yellowknife</h2> <p>Yellowknife is the only city in the Northwest Territories. Around half of NT&#8217;s 40,000 residents live in YK. The next largest municipality (Hay River) is a six hour drive from YK and has a population of 3,000. That said, the city is like any large-medium Ontario town — you&#8217;ll find urban comforts like supermarkets, fast food, and malls within walking distance of any of the hotels in town. The city is small enough to walk across, though if you need walking aids or wheelchairs I&#8217;d recommend using a taxi or car since sidewalks are often covered in ice.</p> <p>The city is built on the shores of Great Slave Lake/Tinde’e/Tucho. Prior to Canadian colonization the largest permanent settlement in the area was the <a href="https://www.ykdene.com/">Dene Dettah settlement</a>, southeast of present day Yellowknife on the opposite side of Yellowknife Bay. Canadian miners began settling in the Yellowknife area in the early 1900s following the discovery of gold and heavy metals.</p> <figure> <img src="yk-dene-map.jpg" alt="A historical map of the greater Yellowknife area with traditional hunting and settlement areas"> <figcaption>Source: <a href="https://www.ykdene.com/">Yellowknives Dene First Nation</a></figcaption> </figure> <h2>When to visit</h2> <p>If you&#8217;re visiting to see the aurora, planning is key. There are four factors to keep in mind, ordered from most to least predictable:</p> <ol> <li>Solar cycle</li> <li>Daylight hours</li> <li>Cloud cover &amp; moonlight</li> <li>Short-term solar activity</li> </ol> <h3>Solar cycle</h3> <p>Auroras are caused by charged particles from the sun entering Earth&#8217;s magnetosphere, and these particles are most numerous when there is lots of solar wind. This solar wind is associated with sunspots. The Sun follows a ~11 year <a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression">solar cycle</a>, during which sunspot activity rises and falls. These sunspots eject large volumes of particles towards the Earth, so the more active the Sun is, the more likely you are to see an aurora and the more vivid the lights are.</p> <figure> <img src="solar-cycle.png" alt="A historical chart of solar sunspot activity with cyclic peaks"> <figcaption>Source: <a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression">NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center</a></figcaption> </figure> <h3>Daylight hours</h3> <p>The aurora is most visible when it&#8217;s dark out. Technically it&#8217;s active during the day, but the sunlight drowns it out. For this reason it&#8217;s best to visit from <a href="https://www.yellowknife.ca/en/exploring-yellowknife/aurora-forecast.aspx">mid-November to early April</a>, since Yellowknife&#8217;s latitude causes 20-hour-long summer days with bright nights.</p> <figure> <img src="weatherspark-daylight.svg" alt="A chart of Yellowknife's annual daylight hours"> <figcaption>Source: <a href="https://weatherspark.com/y/2362/Average-Weather-in-Yellowknife-Canada-Year-Round">Weatherspark</a></figcaption> </figure> <h3>Cloud cover &amp; moonlight</h3> <p>The aurora will be impossible to spot if it&#8217;s behind the clouds. For this reason, visiting in the winter is doubly recommended - cold weather (&lt; -20°c) reduces cloud coverage. The moon will also make auroras harder to see. I visited during a half-moon and the aurora was still visible with the naked eye, but the experience will be much better during a new moon.</p> <h3>Short-term solar activity</h3> <p>In addition to the 11-year cycle, solar activity varies over the course of days and weeks. Check aurora forecasts from groups like <a href="https://astronomynorth.ca/aurora-forecast/">Astronomy North</a> for more detail. I don&#8217;t understand the specifics behind these forecasts, but during my stay they&#8217;d change on a daily basis, so they seem to be unpredictable.</p> <h2>What to bring</h2> <p>Your typical photo gear (tripod, backup SD card, backup battery) will suffice. A microfiber cloth or two are recommended - if your camera lens is -20°c and you bring it indoors it will quickly develop a layer of ice.</p> <p>Pack for a typical cold winter. Bring sunglasses - snow is UV-reflective and having 90% of your field of view blasting UV light at you will cause snow blindness. Check if your boots are built for cold weather - I visited when it was -25 and my toes were painfully cold after more than 30 minutes in the snow.</p> <img src="interstitial-cold.jpg" /> <h2>Safety</h2> <p>From my experience as a ~6-foot-tall man the city is safe, but YMMV. Walking on roads outside of the city at night is not recommended. YK is isolated and roads leading out of the city are not lit. Wildlife (including black bears and moose) are not rare. Neither is drunk driving.</p> <p>Windchill can be extremely dangerous past -35. Dress in layers and keep your skin covered. Two pairs of socks are better than one. Mittens will keep your hands much warmer than gloves.</p> <h2>Things to see and do</h2> <p>I did not rent a car, so I&#8217;ll focus on attractions close to the city. If you have a car, you&#8217;ll have a lot more options (though those options will be limited to nature and outdoors activities).</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.pwnhc.ca/en">Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre</a></strong>: A museum on the edge of Frame Lake. Has two floors of exhibits showcasing the history of YK/NT and the Dene people. Free entry.</p> <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 0.5em;"> <img src="pwnhc-flags.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> <img src="pwnhc-bear.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> <img src="pwnhc-coat.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> </div> <p><strong>Dettah Ice Road</strong>: An 8-kilometer-long ice road built on Yellowknife Bay connecting Yellowknife with Dettah. Check the <a href="https://www.inf.gov.nt.ca/en/services/highways-ferries-and-winter-roads/winter-roads-average-openclose-dates">NT DOT&#8217;s website</a> for road conditions.</p> <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 0.5em;"> <img src="dettah-ice-road-2.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> <img src="dettah-ice-road.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> </div> <p><strong>Back Bay Ice Falls</strong>: A frozen waterfall/hiking area just north of downtown Yellowknife. Accessible from downtown YK via the trails along Niven Lake/48th St.</p> <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 0.5em;"> <img src="back-bay-1.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> <img src="back-bay-2.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> <img src="back-bay-3.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> </div> <p><strong>Back Bay Viewpoint</strong>: Head south from the ice falls and climb up the hills to get a panoramic view of Yellowknife Bay.</p> <img src="back-bay-viewpoint.jpg" /> <p><a href="https://snowking.ca/">Snowkings&#8217; Winter Festival</a>: A month-long festival taking place by a snow castle built on top of the frozen Yellowknife Bay. Events include nightly comedy shows, live music, art, and other performances - check their calendar for details.</p> <p><strong>Local art</strong>: Yellowknife is full of art galleries hosting work from local artists. The Gallery of the Midnight Sun in Old Yellowknife has tons of sculptures and carvings.</p> <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 0.5em;"> <img src="seal.jpg" style="max-width: 45%" /> </div> <h2>Aurora photography tips</h2> <p>Check aurora and cloud cover forecasts before you head out for the night. The lights tend to be active after 11 PM/midnight.</p> <p>Modern phones can capture the aurora in surprising detail, thanks to computational photography and low-light modes. Camera sensors detect more of the aurora than is visible to human eyes, so the aurora will likely be much brighter than it appears with the naked eye.</p> <p>If you&#8217;re using a standard DSLR/mirrorless body you&#8217;ll need a tripod. Long exposures of up to 30 seconds might be needed, but don&#8217;t be afraid to turn the ISO up a little bit if it makes it easier to get a good shot. The aurora&#8217;s speed and brightness will change throughout the night, so getting familiar with your camera settings (and being able to adjust them while wearing mittens) is recommended. Your fingers may become hard to control after just a minute of exposure to the cold wind.</p> <p>You&#8217;ll want to keep an extra battery or two someplace warm (inside your glove or an inside pocket), since your battery can die without warning due to the cold.</p> <p>Autofocus will not work at night - get familiar with manual focus and use the stars as targets.</p> <hr /> <p>My most important tip is to take a moment to just appreciate where you are and what you&#8217;re seeing. Safe travels!</p> <img src="aurora-4.jpg" /> <img src="aurora-1.jpg" /> <img src="aurora-2.jpg" /> <img src="aurora-3.jpg" /> https://qali.net/2023/08/24/toronto-niagara-route.html2023-08-24T00:00:00Z<p>Earlier in July I rode a 145km bike route from Toronto to Niagara. I made it to the end in one piece, though since it was pretty hot (25c+ with high humidity and very little cloud cover) I ended the ride feeling tired and dehydrated. That said, the ride was well worth the effort.</p> <p>Here&#8217;s an itinerary for anyone planning a similar trip.</p> <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 0.5em;"> <img src="collage-port-credit.jpg" alt="" style="max-width: 45%"/> <img src="collage-burlington.jpg" alt="" style="max-width: 45%"/> <img src="collage-hamilton.jpg" alt="" style="max-width: 45%"/> <img src="collage-grimsby.jpg" alt="" style="max-width: 45%"/> <img src="collage-niagara.jpg" alt="" style="max-width: 45%"/> </div> <h2>Route Overview</h2> <p><img src="route-overview.png" alt="A map of the bike route running from western Etobicoke to Niagara falls" /></p> <p>The route starts on Lakeshore Road West near Etobicoke and follows the <a href="https://waterfronttrail.org/places/communities/toronto/">Great Lakes Waterfront Trail</a> west to Port Credit, Oakville, and Burlington. The route continues east along the trail to Grimsby, Dalhousie, and Niagara-on-the Lake. The route then follows the trail south to Niagara Falls.</p> <p>My ride was 145km long, and lasted almost 9h including breaks (moving time was 7h).</p> <h2>Gear</h2> <p>Wearing a backpack is doable but will be uncomfortable towards the end. Save your back and shoulders by using a saddlebag, pannier, or some other bike storage.</p> <p>Plan like you would for any 8-hour-long outdoor activity. An extra spare tire could come in handy, even if you have a tube patch kit.</p> <p>There will be one or two 50km long sections without stores or gas stations, so make sure you can carry enough food and water to last that long (and adjust your water requirements according to the temperature).</p> <h2>Part 1: Toronto to Burlington (40km, 40/145 km)</h2> <p><img src="route-1.png" alt="" /></p> <p>The first section of the ride is mostly urban/suburban areas. Traffic can be dense. Food and water frequent.</p> <p>Follow Lakeshore West all the way until Burlington. This area is usually clear of traffic on weekends before 8am. Remember that you probably have over 5 hours of riding left once you reach Burlington, so ride at a slow pace.</p> <h2>Part 2: Burlington to Grimsby (30km, 70/145 km)</h2> <p><img src="route-2.png" alt="" /></p> <p>Suburban residential areas through to Grimsby, with increasingly long and frequent patches of farmland between QEW ramps. Stops for food and water 5-10km apart.</p> <p>Turn left at the Brant Street Pier and follow the mixed-use path south. Ride along the Waterfront Trail and follow the signs for the Canal Lift Bridge. The trail goes past the bridge then turns under it and rises to meet the road. After crossing the canal, get off the bridge and head north to the Breezeway Trail, and follow it east. The trail is a mixed-use path that travels through parks along the shore, so keep an eye out for pedestrians. The trail ends in a residential area north of the QEW.</p> <p>Follow the Waterfront Trail/bike route signs. These signs will take you east on the North Service Road along the QEW, occasionally turning off the road into residential areas to avoid highway onramps/offramps. North Service Road has a speed limit limit of 80kph and shoulders are nonexistent in some areas.</p> <h2>Part 3: Grimsby to Dalhousie (25km, 95/145km)</h2> <p><img src="route-3.png" alt="" /></p> <p>A very long rural stretch. Mostly farmland and vineyards. Stops for food and water 10-15km apart, with stops in urban Dalhousie.</p> <p>Continue following the N Service Road until the 90 km mark, then turn left onto Lakeshore Rd W and follow it straight to downtown Port Dalhousie.</p> <p>This is where staying hydrated and fed becomes especially important. If you were not eating something and drinking a bottle of water every hour, it&#8217;s likely that you will start to hit the wall at this point. Make sure you&#8217;re also having electrolytes otherwise you will probably start to suffer during this section.</p> <p>It will be hard to find food and water here, as most of the route is farmland. There is very little shade and you will spend most of your time surrounded by concrete, so staying cool is important.</p> <p>Port Dalhousie is a good spot to refuel and grab extra food/water for the next section.</p> <h2>Part 4: Dalhousie to Niagara-on-the Lake (NOTL) (20km, 115/145km)</h2> <p><img src="route-4.png" alt="" /></p> <p>Suburban/industrial until the Welland Canal, then farmland again until downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL). No food and water between Dalhouse and NOTL.</p> <p>Turn south out of Dalhousie on Lakeport until you get to Lakeshore Rd then follow it west along the shoreline, ending in NOTL.</p> <p>Food and water are also important here. There is very little shade until the end. NOTL is a good spot to refuel.</p> <p>Note that the directions for the past 55km are almost identical. These parts of the route are monotonous and flat. I started to overheat and think about stopping at this point. Reminding yourself why you&#8217;re doing this ride (and having a good reason) might help you continue.</p> <p>As you approach NOTL, the route turns onto smaller rural roads. Most drivers gave me room when passing, though there is often no shoulder (unlike the service road). Road conditions ranged from great (brand new asphalt) to poor (2km of gravel-like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavement_milling">milled road</a>).</p> <h2>Part 5: Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara Falls (30km, 145/145km)</h2> <p><img src="route-5.png" alt="" /></p> <p>Rural immediately after exiting NOTL. No food and water for 20km between NOTL and Niagara Falls.</p> <p>Exit NOTL and turn onto Niagara Parkway Trail. Follow the trail south until you get to the falls. The route passes by Niagara GO at km 137, continues south for 4km until the falls, then turns back around and ends at the GO station.</p> <p>After 115km of flat land, the final stretch to the falls is mostly uphill. The first 10km are a gentle uphill slope, followed by a 5% climb for 1km near Brock&#8217;s Monument. The trail will be busy, with lots of cyclists and pedestrians. I had to bail out early and go directly to the GO station to catch the train back.</p> <p>Grab some food, rehydrate, and enjoy the 2h drive/train ride back to Toronto. If it&#8217;s especially hot out you may have mild heat exhaustion, and feel tired tomorrow. Spend the next day celebrating the fact that you travelled all the way to Niagara on your own two legs.</p> <p><img src="efficiency.jpg" alt="A chart displaying the transportation energy efficiency of various animals and human modes of transport. Bicycling is, by a large margin, the most efficient method of transportation in the chart." /></p> https://qali.net/2020/08/21/300-wands.html2020-08-21T00:00:00Z<p>As a GM, preparing for a session at the last minute sucks, especially if you&#8217;re not sure how many people will be playing. Plus, if you&#8217;re going to play with people who are new to D&amp;D or TTRPGs, that eats away from your precious one-shot session time. So, I stole (as all GMs do) a setting called the <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/DnDGreentext/comments/56owc3/the_commoner_curse_of_300_wands/">Commoner Curse of 300 Wands</a>. This session can be played with any number of players, and with minimal onboarding and teaching required. It can be roleplay-heavy, or combat-heavy, depending on how your players roll. It&#8217;s goofy, casual, and a great story to keep in your back pocket.</p> <p>The players are paid by a wizard&#8217;s assistant to perform some magical experimentation. The assistant shows the party a barrel of 300 unlabeled magical wands, and asks them to identify their effects by casting them at stuff (go outside the town first, though!). That&#8217;s it.</p> <p>Everything else can be (and will have to be) improvised on the spot. I start off by drawing a very basic compass map at the start of the session, so that players can have places to go and test their wands. For example:</p> <pre><code> mountains (frost dragon here) N ^ | waterfalls W &lt;- town -&gt; E forest (sunken treasure) | (bandit hideout here) v S silver mines (ongoing theft) </code></pre> <p>Each of these directions has a &#8216;hook&#8217; that players can sink their teeth into. You don&#8217;t necessarily need to give them the hooks (some of them can be a fun surprise), but I give a few of them to the party via an in-town job board. The players can use a job from there to test their wands, and kill two birds with one stone.</p> <p>In terms of gameplay, every time a player casts a wand at a target the GM rolls 1d10,000 to pull a random magical effect from the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Roll20/comments/a1d1le/net_libram_of_random_magical_effects_v2_as_a/">Net Libram of Random Magical Effects</a> (a list of spells from a Pathfinder module). If the effect is boring or not applicable, you can roll again. Some of these effects take a while to become visible or known. For example, a player may be confronted by a religious cult who claims that the player is their messiah in the future. I tell the players that they either don&#8217;t notice any effects, or give them a subtle hint (<em>you feel somewhat divine</em>). This gets fun when players, thinking that most wands are safe, spam multiple effects at the same time.</p> <p>Practically speaking, rolling and tracking effects can get tedious. I wrote a <a href="https://qali.net/300wands">web app</a> to make this go smoother. You add your players to the app, and click a button to add a random effect to their character. Any rolls described in the spell effect (<em>player grows 1d4 additional fingers on their hand</em>) are automatically rolled for you.</p> <hr /> <p>So, that&#8217;s the setup for the story. What happens next?</p> <p>The beauty of this setup is that since the spells are so chaotic, they end up driving the story! Players head north to the mountains in order to slay an evil ice dragon, and fight bandits and beasts along the way. During the journey, they use a wand which summons a giant demon in the nearest town. They also use a wand which causes a death cult, devoted to one of the players, to form across the continent. The players don&#8217;t see this just yet. As they crest the mountain peak, they see their hometown engulfed in flames as a 20-story monster stomps on it, and see tens of thousands of pilgrims marching up the mountain towards them, eager to meet their prophet.</p> <p>What do the players do? What do the cultists want? What happens to the town? <em>What does the demon want?</em> You, as the GM, serve to take the chaos created by the wands and funnel it into an enjoyable story. Take a look at what your players are like, what they enjoy, and try to understand how they&#8217;re reading the events in the story so far. Then use that knowledge to tailor the story for maximum fun.</p> https://qali.net/2020/01/16/failing-with-abandon.html2020-01-16T00:00:00Z<p><a href="http://mindingourway.com/failing-with-abandon/">Failing with Abandon - Nate Soares</a> (<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190428081915/http://mindingourway.com/failing-with-abandon/">archive</a>):</p> <blockquote> <p>This is a short public service announcement: <em>you don&#8217;t have to fail with abandon.</em></p> <p>Say you&#8217;re playing Civilization, and your target is to get to sleep before midnight, and you check the clock, and it&#8217;s already 12:15. If that happens, you don&#8217;t have to say &quot;too late now, I already missed my target&quot; and then keep playing until 4 in the morning.</p> <p>&#8230;</p> <p>Over and over, I see people set themselves a target, miss it by a little, and then throw all restraint to the wind. &quot;Well,&quot; they seem to think, &quot;willpower has failed me; I might as well over-indulge.&quot; I call this pattern &quot;failing with abandon.&quot;</p> <p>But you don&#8217;t have to fail with abandon. When you miss your targets, you&#8217;re allowed to say &quot;dang!&quot; and then <em>continue trying to get as close to your target as you can.</em></p> </blockquote> https://qali.net/2019/12/12/ghost-stories.html2019-12-12T00:00:00Z<div style="float:left; margin-right: 1em"> <img src="ghost-stories.jpg" alt="Collected Ghost Stories book cover"> </div> <p><em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/650775.Collected_Ghost_Stories">Collected Ghost Stories</a></em> (1931) is an anthology of Victorian-era supernatural stories, written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._R._James">M.R. James</a>. I picked up this book because of its reviews, and I was not disappointed. For a book written almost 90 years ago, it&#8217;s surprisingly accessible. You might need a dictionary for a few words, and the <em>&#8216;British archaeologist visiting scary foreign lands&#8217;</em> theme has since been played to death, but the important bits, the scary bits, still work well.</p> <p>The stories are slow burns, and leave a lot to the reader&#8217;s imagination. This is what makes these stories so effective. The narrator visits an old European town, searching for ancient Catholic Church manuscripts, and they discover a horrific secret in the process. They find their host&#8217;s disfigured body in the hallway the next morning. Or the protagonist unearths an ancient artifact with the help of their friend, who disappears the next day, leaving only a chilling note behind.</p> <p>It&#8217;s up to you to fill in the blanks. Maybe some things don&#8217;t have an explanation.</p> <blockquote> <p>It was a high, thin voice that they heard, and it seemed dry, as if from long disuse. Of words or tune there was no question. It went sailing up to a surprising height, and was carried down with a despairing moan as of a winter wind in a hollow chimney, or an organ whose wind fails suddenly. It was a really horrible sound, and Anderson felt that if he had been alone he must have fled for refuge and society to some neighbour bag-man&#8217;s room.</p> <p>The landlord sat open-mouthed.</p> <p>Just then came an impatient knock at the door, and the knocker entered, without waiting to be asked. It was the lawyer, in deshabille and very rough-haired; and very angry he looked.</p> <p>&#8216;I beg pardon, sir,&#8217; he said, &#8216;but I should be much obliged if you would kindly desist &#8212;&#8217;</p> <p>Here he stopped, for it was evident that neither of the persons before him was responsible for the disturbance; and after a moment&#8217;s lull it swelled forth again more wildly than before.</p> <p>&#8216;But what in the name of Heaven does it mean?&#8217; broke out the lawyer. &#8216;Where is it? Who is it? Am I going out of my mind?&#8217;</p> <p>&#8216;Surely, Herr Jensen, it comes from your room next door? Isn&#8217;t there a cat or something stuck in the chimney?&#8217;</p> <p>This was the best that occurred to Anderson to say, and he realised its futility as he spoke; but anything was better than to stand and listen to that horrible voice, and look at the broad, white face of the landlord, all perspiring and quivering as he clutched the arms of his chair.</p> <p>&#8216;Impossible,&#8217; said the lawyer, &#8216;impossible. There is no chimney. I came here because I was convinced the noise was going on here. It was certainly in the next room to mine.&#8217;</p> <p>&#8216;Was there no door between yours and mine?&#8217; said Anderson eagerly.</p> <p>&#8216;No, sir,&#8217; said Herr Jensen, rather sharply. &#8216;At least, not this morning.&#8217;</p> </blockquote> <p>Favourite stories:</p> <ul> <li>The Mezzotint</li> <li>A School Story</li> <li>Number 13</li> </ul> <hr /> <p><em><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1210">Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things</a></em> (1904) is another 18th-century supernatural story collection, except <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafcadio_Hearn">Lafcadio Hearn</a> focuses on traditional Japanese stories. Some stories probably require you to understand Japanese traditions, and others aren&#8217;t scary or unsettling, just strange. But there are some gems in there. There&#8217;s something captivating about reading a ghost story from the Edo period. Hearn also thankfully includes translations for many Japanese words in the book, along with explanatory footnotes for each story.</p> <p>It&#8217;s no Stephen King novel, but this book will creep you out if you let it. Give it a shot, since it&#8217;s free!</p> <blockquote> <p>After dark the priest and the acolyte went away; and Hoichi seated himself on the verandah, according to the instructions given him. He laid his biwa on the planking beside him, and, assuming the attitude of meditation, remained quite still,&#8212;taking care not to cough, or to breathe audibly. For hours he stayed thus.</p> <p>Then, from the roadway, he heard the steps coming. They passed the gate, crossed the garden, approached the verandah, stopped&#8212;directly in front of him.</p> <p>&quot;Hoichi!&quot; the deep voice called. But the blind man held his breath, and sat motionless.</p> <p>&quot;Hoichi!&quot; grimly called the voice a second time. Then a third time&#8212;savagely:&#8212;</p> <p>&quot;Hoichi!&quot;</p> <p>Hoichi remained as still as a stone,&#8212;and the voice grumbled:&#8212;</p> <p>&quot;No answer!&#8212;that won&#8217;t do!&#8230; Must see where the fellow is.&quot;&#8230;</p> <p>There was a noise of heavy feet mounting upon the verandah. The feet approached deliberately,&#8212;halted beside him. Then, for long minutes,&#8212;during which Hoichi felt his whole body shake to the beating of his heart,&#8212;there was dead silence.</p> </blockquote> <p>Favourite stories:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1210/1210-h/1210-h.htm#oshidori">Oshidori</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1210/1210-h/1210-h.htm#mujina">Mujina</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1210/1210-h/1210-h.htm#mujina">A Dead Secret</a></li> </ul> https://qali.net/2019/09/11/gandi-livedns.html2019-09-11T00:00:00Z<p>I use <a href="https://gandi.net">Gandi</a> for my domain names. For a while, I used a VPS to host all my sites, but I ran into technical issues (it was OpenVZ-based so the kernel was ancient) and after I upgraded my home internet, I decided to put my bandwidth to use and host everything at home.</p> <p>Like many other North Americans, my ISP doesn&#8217;t give me a static IP, so this is an issue. You can use dynamic DNS providers like <a href="https://noip.com">noip</a> or <a href="https://afraid.org">afraid.org</a>, but then you&#8217;re stuck with a subdomain on one of their owned domain names. Fortunately, Gandi has something called <a href="https://doc.livedns.gandi.net/">LiveDNS</a>, which provides an HTTP REST API for modifying zonefiles. Here&#8217;s how I&#8217;m using their API to point my DNS records at my dynamic IP.</p> <p>First, follow the instructions and visit the <a href="https://account.gandi.net/">&#8216;Security&#8217;</a> page to get an API key. This key will need to be provided in the <code>X-Api-Key</code> header of all your requests. Next, figure out the URL for your site&#8217;s A (or AAAA) record.</p> <ol> <li> <p>Fetch all zones, and select the zone for your domain. Copy the <code>zone_records_href</code>:</p> <pre><code> $ curl -H &quot;X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE&quot; https://dns.api.gandi.net/api/v5/zones [ { &quot;zone_records_href&quot;: &quot;https://dns.api.gandi.net/api/v5/zones/......../records&quot;, ... &quot;name&quot;: &quot;qali.net&quot; } ] </code></pre> </li> <li> <p>List all records for your domain&#8217;s zonefile:</p> <pre><code> $ curl -H &quot;X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE&quot; https://dns.api.gandi.net/api/v5/zones/......../records [ { &quot;rrset_type&quot;: &quot;A&quot;, &quot;rrset_ttl&quot;: 10800, &quot;rrset_name&quot;: &quot;@&quot;, &quot;rrset_href&quot;: &quot;https://dns.api.gandi.net/api/v5/zones/......../records/%40/A&quot;, &quot;rrset_values&quot;: [ &quot;1.2.3.4&quot; ] }, { &quot;rrset_type&quot;: &quot;AAAA&quot;, &quot;rrset_ttl&quot;: 1800, &quot;rrset_name&quot;: &quot;@&quot;, &quot;rrset_href&quot;: &quot;https://dns.api.gandi.net/api/v5/zones/......../records/%40/AAAA&quot;, &quot;rrset_values&quot;: [ &quot;i:wish:i:had:an:ipv6:address&quot; ] } ] </code></pre> </li> <li> <p>Now that you have a URL for your <code>A</code>/<code>AAAA</code> records, you just need to <code>PUT</code> to their URLs. The payload for a given name/record type pair is a TTL and value (make sure you choose a low TTL, as this determines the maximum possible downtime for your site once your IP changes):</p> <pre><code> $ curl -X PUT -d '{&quot;rrset_ttl&quot;: 600, &quot;rrset_values&quot;: [&quot;1.1.1.1&quot;]}' -H 'X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE' https://dns.api.gandi.net/api/v5/zones/......../records/%40/A </code></pre> </li> </ol> <p>Now that we know the URL of the record to update, we can write a script that, when run, <a href="https://ifconfig.me">fetches our current IP</a> and updates the record accordingly:</p> <pre><code>#!/usr/bin/env bash api_key_header=&quot;X-Api-Key: UPDATEME&quot; record_url=&quot;https://dns.api.gandi.net/api/v5/zones/......../records/%40/A&quot; curr_ip=$(curl ifconfig.me) payload=&quot;{\&quot;rrset_ttl\&quot;: 600, \&quot;rrset_values\&quot;: [\&quot;$curr_ip\&quot;]}&quot; echo payload: $payload curl -X PUT -H &quot;Content-Type: application/json&quot; -H &quot;$api_key_header&quot; -d &quot;$payload&quot; $record_url if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then echo POST failed exit 1 fi </code></pre> <p>Running this on a schedule can be done with cron, or with <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Systemd/Timers">systemd timers</a>. Make sure that the timer frequency matches the TTL used for your DNS record. Also, keep your API key safe. <a href="https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=%22BEGIN+RSA+PRIVATE+KEY%22+path%3A.ssh%2F&amp;type=Code&amp;ref=advsearch&amp;l=&amp;l=">Don&#8217;t add it to a VCS</a>, and make sure that the updater script can only be read by the user scheduled to run it (i.e. <code>chmod go-rwx update-dns.sh</code>).</p> https://qali.net/2019/08/31/hiking-in-colorado.html2019-08-31T00:00:00Z<figure> <img src="hiking-in-co-01.jpg" alt=""> </figure> <p>I can’t think of anything to write about, so here’s a post about a hiking trip I went on a couple of months ago. Things didn’t go perfectly, but it was still fun!</p> <h2>1. DO plan ahead</h2> <p>About a month before the the trip, I decided that I’d put my credit card’s points to use by flying out on a weekend trip to somewhere. I like taking photos, I like nature, and Colorado was (relatively) close, so I asked a buddy if he wanted to tag along, and bought a ticket to Denver. I then forgot about this trip for a few weeks. A couple of days before the flight we realized we needed to actually do something this weekend, so we sat down and skimmed through trail sites, state park maps, and travel guides.</p> <p>I originally wanted to do a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteener">14er</a>, but it turned out that most 14er peaks around this time of year are either completely frozen or too far away from roads for us. We tried looking for easy 13ers. As it turns out, the sort of people who spend their free time climbing up really high mountains tend to use the word easy in a very unique way. For example (not a literal quote but it might as well be):</p> <blockquote> <p>Hike starts out with an easy 10 mile hike at 5-10% grade, before steepening to a moderately difficult 20 mile 45% ascent. You may need crampons and ice picks to make it to the summit, but the climb should only be a few hours long. 5⁄5, highly recommended for any novice!</p> </blockquote> <p>Or:</p> <blockquote> <p>The climb to the summit ends with a very <em>easy</em> section of climbing ice underhangs, where it is very <em>easy</em> for you to fall and break all the important bones in your body.</p> </blockquote> <p>Eventually, we settled on a trail labelled <a href="https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7009397/cdt-berthoud-pass-to-stanley-mountain">CDT - Berthoud Pass to Stanley Mountain</a>, which rises 1000 feet from ~11,500 up to 12,500 feet (part of the <a href="https://continentaldividetrail.org/">Continential Divide Trail</a>, a 3,000 mile trail starting in New Mexico and ending in Montana). The ascent didn’t seem that bad, and it was only a 8 mile out-and-back hike! Plus it was close to the road, with direct access from a parking lot. Trail reports were mixed, with some people reporting snow, but the reports weren’t very descriptive, and seeing how we were Canadians, a little snow wouldn’t hurt us.</p> <p>This was mistake #1. If we had more time, we could’ve spent a little more time looking into weather around the area, and we probably would’ve found a nicer trail. That guy who posted a trail report saying that there was ‘alot of snow’ was right. We ran into 3 foot high packing snow drifts less than a mile out.</p> <figure> <img src="hiking-in-co-02.jpg" alt="View looking down on a valley. The ground is covered in thick snow drifts."> <figcaption><p>Yup, looks like snow</p></figcaption> </figure> <p>Hiking up these was not fun, since we were wearing regular hiking boots. Hiking down was much worse, for reasons I’ll cover later on. Know the weather in the area for the time of year, and rely on trail reports if you can.</p> <h2>2. DO respect altitude</h2> <p>To help acclimate to the altitude, we spent our first day in downtown Denver and the general Denver/Boulder area. Denver seems like a chill place. Check out the MoMA there.</p> <p>The next day, we drove to Stanley Mountain, put on our hiking gear, walked up a slight incline, and gasped for air.</p> <p>Mistake #2. The effects of altitude are real. As someone who’s biked multiple 100km rides, and spends about 5 hours on the saddle every week, I’d like to believe that I’m OK in terms of cardiac output. But even for me, every little motion saps away strength, and even something as basic as reaching down to tie your shoes can bring on dizziness and tunnel vision. Steep sections are done one step at a time. Turns out that 24 hours isn’t enough to adjust to physical activity at 11,000 feet. We had to move incredibly slowly during the ascent, and I was exhausted by the time we got to the top. By the time we were at the hotel, I had developed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude_sickness">altitude sickness</a>, which feels like the worst fever ever combined with the worst cold ever. Don’t get altitude sickness.</p> <h2>3. DO respect the weather</h2> <p>The night before our hike, weather forecasts for the trail area called for clear skies. The morning of the hike, I didn’t bother checking the weather forecast. Whoops. Mistake #3. The bulk of the ascent was uneventful, but after a few miles we started seeing clouds rolling in in the distance. It was hard for me to tell if they were moving towards us or away from us, but whatever, clouds won’t do anything. We slowly made our way to the summit, and took a short break. I somehow still had 4G service at the top. Shitposting at 12,000 feet: S tier.</p> <figure> <img src="hiking-in-co-03.jpg" alt="A distant mountain range, viewed from the top of a mountain. Dark clouds gather above the mountain range and the sky is grey."> <figcaption><p>A view from the summit. Those clouds in the distance don’t look too friendly.</p></figcaption> </figure> <figure> <img src="hiking-in-co-04.jpg" alt="Grasslands and valleys, viewed from the top of a mountain. The sky is blue and cloud cover is minimal."> <figcaption><p>Turning around 180 degrees, the view is a lot greener and a lot less stormy.</p></figcaption> </figure> <p>The clouds are starting to roll in and we hear thunder in the distance. This is actually very bad news.</p> <figure> <img src="hiking-in-co-05.jpg" alt="A dirt trail running down a mountainside. As the trail dips below the horizon, the sky above grows dark with clouds."> <figcaption><p>Unfortunately, this is where we came from. The path back down leads to that scary looking dark cloudy section.</p></figcaption> </figure> <p>We start high-tailing it back down. The slight downwards gradient gives us a little boost, but it’s not enough to outrun the storm. The wind picks up and we’re suddenly in the middle of a flash hailstorm. The hail stings, but we quickly forget about it as we see lightning hit the ground multiple times within a mile of us. We decide to no longer be the tallest objects in our immediate surroundings, and haul ass back to the bottom of the mountain.</p> <p>Those snow drifts are now starting to melt and obscure the trail, and navigating them is a lot trickier now. Since they’re partially packed snow, it’s hard to tell if the snow is going to cave in when you step on it, which makes sprained ankles a real risk.</p> <p>We slide down some snow drifts and make it back to the parking lot, completely soaked. On the drive back, I enjoy my altitude-induce migraine.</p> <h2>4. DO don’t be dumb and have fun</h2> <p>I know I’m making this sound like a terrible experience, but it was fun! I enjoyed the challenge, and the views were amazing. Colorado’s mountains are a great place to hike. Just don’t be dumb, and stay safe. If you’re going to hike in a tough environment for the first time, don’t yolo it, and do it with someone else. 12,000 feet up, on a mountain peak, completely alone, is not where you want to be when you discover that the stable rock you’re standing on isn’t so stable, or that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_pulmonary_edema">you’ve developed a rare life-threatening form of altitude sickness</a>.</p> <h3>Links:</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7009397/cdt-berthoud-pass-to-stanley-mountain">CDT - Berthoud Pass to Stanley Mountain - Hiking Project</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/2493832792">Strava for this hike</a></li> </ul>